This panel discussion will examine legislative and political framework for activities of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Russia. It will pay special attention to terms and conditions of grass root activities of CSOs in Russian regions. The panelists will aim at responding to the following questions: What are the main legislative and political challenges for activities of CSOs in Russia? What are specific conditions for CSOs activities in Russian regions? How strong is civil society in Russia outside of its metropolitan centers Moscow and Sankt Petersburg? What are examples of best practices of CSOs in Russian regions?

Speakers:
Irina Gertsik, Head, Women’ initiatives (Kaliningrad)
Anatoli Lebedev, Board Chair, BROC (Vladivostok)
Svetlana Makovetskaya, Director, GRANI Centre (Perm)
Ruslan Mutsolgov, Activist, MASHR(Karabulak)

Moderator:
Alexander Duleba, Director, Slovak Foreign Policy Association (Bratislava)

The event is organised by EU-Russia Civil Society Forum – established in 2011 by non-governmental organisations as a permanent common platform. At the moment, over 161 NGOs from Russia and 19 EU states are members of the Forum. It strives for the development of cooperation between civil society organisations and greater participation of NGOs in the EU-Russia dialogue. The Forum has been involved in the questions of facilitation of the visa regime, development of civic participation, protection of the environment and human rights, dealing with history, as well as civic education. The annual convention of the Forum – General Assembly – is taking place in Bratislava, 6-8 May 2019. The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, which are held once a year and unite Forum members, observers, official representatives and guest participants from EU member states and Russia to address recent developments, assess and discuss Forum activities and future projects.